Anne’s passion for fashion was sparked in her childhood; when she was three, her Romanian grandmother taught her the art of sewing and embroidery. This early exposure with wonderful fabrics and embroideries created the foundation for a life with fashion and a passion for fabrics.
At the age of 5, Anne’s family, separated from her father, had to flee to Germany, where they settled and found a new home in Munich. This is where she finished her school education. She would spend most of her school holidays in Romania, where her interest in fashion was continuously fueled. In her teenage years, she started to design her first fashion garments and accessories.
To pursue her passion, in 2002 she began to study “Fashion and Communication Design” at the German Master School of Fashion (Deutsche Meisterschule der Mode) in Munich. Following her successful graduation, Anne decided to travel the world for more inspiration. Her travels took her from South Africa to Asia and finally to Australia, where she wanted to stay a little longer. She had the chance to take the first step into her career in Sidney, where the young fashion designer was offered an internship with the renowned Japanese fashion designer Akira Isogawa and the sisters Zimmermannwear. Being a part of the preparations for the fashion week in Sidney 2006 was certainly among the most valuable experiences she gained while working there.
Working closely with Akira inspired Anne to experiment with fabrics, and it taught her not to dismiss mistakes as mistakes right away, but to have a closer look to see if there might be an unexpected discovery or opportunity. Inspired by these experiences, Anne started to combine different fabrics with each other, which led to unexpected results.
In 2008, Anne went back to Germany to start her career with VOGUE in Munich. She began working in the art department, where she was responsible for editorial organization and graphics. Following this job and well equipped with a lot of experiences, she started to work at mytheresa.com, a reputable online shop for high-end fashion.
Ultimately in 2012, she moved to her father’s home country Tanzania.
Once in Dar es Salaam, it didn’t take long until Anne started focusing on the local fashion. She was amazed by the colours and patterns of the African fabrics – unfortunately not by their quality. On the hunt for high-quality materials, Anne found the second-hand markets of Dar es Salaam. This is where she found the quality she was looking for: Discarded garments, many of which were designer clothes. The idea of “upcycling” was born.
She founded her label “ANNE KIWIA” in 2012. Her unique collection of headbands, made from high-quality recycled materials has gained international recognition over the last years. ANNE KIWIA is in the process of conquering the German market with its luxury products from East Africa.
